Smallies aren't in yet, give it a few days or a week at most imo.
Tag alder leaves are still in the bud. I base the point of the season often by the size, state and presence or lack of flora and fuana more so than the calendar date.
Anyway the musky were getting busy and so I brought one 6" silver jake, tubes of course, and 1/16oz jig and 3" pearl grubs to keep a NYT critic off my ass. All jokes aside I'll give 3" grubs a try when the smallies show up, and give respect where respect is due.
Jakes did most of the work but a tube, and a barbie rod 1/16oz jig 3" grub attracted attention.
Not the greatest but some of the bigger ones got my heart racing for a little bit.
Many will chuckle but don't use the plastic 'The Fish Grip' on larger fish she snapped like a toothpick when the largest musky head shaked. But I lost my net yesterday (don't ask but it's not in the water) so I used the grip. I didn't use the lanyard rope on the grip so the death grip I had on the handle contributed to it snapping.
Up in the shallow pool but some were near the current break. This type of structure and current situation typically holds skis this time of year up and down this river system. Other places I tried to hit either had washed out roads or river was too high to get to spots I like.
Funny story this weekend is the 7yo girl in the background in one picture tied into a 40" ski with a 1/16oz jig and 3" pearl colored twister tail. Longest two minutes in her life as the musky was fairly docile but did scream out the drag with impunity. I grabbed the net but she never got super close but I was being a pussy and should have gone knee deep to net fish. Always second guessing myself but I knew deep down it would be a miracle if we landed her. Got jig back with one scale attached, so she was foul hooked anyway. Still I give this little girl a lot of credit she throughly enjoyed those two minutes and was still happy when she got off.
Don't believe the hype!
Here's a few of these rag tag critters:
![20190512_151945.jpg]( "20190512_151945.jpg")
![20190512_194526.jpg]( "20190512_194526.jpg")
![20190512_150019.jpg]( "20190512_150019.jpg")
![20190512_145401.jpg]( "20190512_145401.jpg")
![26525100321164.jpeg]( "26525100321164.jpeg")
![20190512_152928.jpg]( "20190512_152928.jpg")
Tag alder leaves are still in the bud. I base the point of the season often by the size, state and presence or lack of flora and fuana more so than the calendar date.
Anyway the musky were getting busy and so I brought one 6" silver jake, tubes of course, and 1/16oz jig and 3" pearl grubs to keep a NYT critic off my ass. All jokes aside I'll give 3" grubs a try when the smallies show up, and give respect where respect is due.
Jakes did most of the work but a tube, and a barbie rod 1/16oz jig 3" grub attracted attention.
Not the greatest but some of the bigger ones got my heart racing for a little bit.
Many will chuckle but don't use the plastic 'The Fish Grip' on larger fish she snapped like a toothpick when the largest musky head shaked. But I lost my net yesterday (don't ask but it's not in the water) so I used the grip. I didn't use the lanyard rope on the grip so the death grip I had on the handle contributed to it snapping.
Up in the shallow pool but some were near the current break. This type of structure and current situation typically holds skis this time of year up and down this river system. Other places I tried to hit either had washed out roads or river was too high to get to spots I like.
Funny story this weekend is the 7yo girl in the background in one picture tied into a 40" ski with a 1/16oz jig and 3" pearl colored twister tail. Longest two minutes in her life as the musky was fairly docile but did scream out the drag with impunity. I grabbed the net but she never got super close but I was being a pussy and should have gone knee deep to net fish. Always second guessing myself but I knew deep down it would be a miracle if we landed her. Got jig back with one scale attached, so she was foul hooked anyway. Still I give this little girl a lot of credit she throughly enjoyed those two minutes and was still happy when she got off.
Don't believe the hype!
Here's a few of these rag tag critters:
